Coupling



April 14, 1931- J. B. REPLOGLE 00,753

COUPLING Filed July 29, 1929 gwumtoz UEMEE .5. REPLUELE Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES B. REPLOGLE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T JAMES REPLOGLE LABORATORIES, INC., 01 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 01 MASSA- oausa'rrs COUPLING application filed July 29,

This invention relates to couplings and more particularly to couplings for use with refrigerating systems.

Difliculty is experienced with refrigerating systems because of several causes such as careless installation, vibration, abuse and internal pressure, the joints formed by coupling tubes or conduits with each other or other parts of the apparatus becomes loose permitting escape of the refrigerant gas. Such leaks are annoying but can be readily detected with some refrigerants, for instance by the mutual reaction of sulphur dioxide and ammonia, but with methyl chloride there is no chemical or other simple test for detecting leaks. it is known that, compressed air can be applied to the interior of the units comprising systems-using methyl chloride because when submerged bubbles will rise to the surface in case of a leak, but such a test can not well be a plied to a system when the units are assemb ed and there has been leakage at the joints connecting tubing with the units, so that as a result this chemical has had only a limited use withretrigcrating systems.

An object of the invention is to overcome the above objections to certain refri erants through the provision of leak proo joints in the s stems.

Anot er ob'ect of my invention is to provide a coupling for refri crating systems which can be readily assem led to maintain leak root joints.

Sti 1 another object of the invention is to rovide a coupling which is impervious to igh pressure gases.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as thedescription of the invention male member havin progresses.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a coupling incorporating my invention; Fig. 2 is a medial sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the split washer.

Referring now to the drawings by char actors of reference, 10 represents a plu or a t readed perip cry and a longitudina ly extending passage therethrouh, there being also a central her 1999. Serial No. 381,829.

agonal portion 12 for the application of a wrench. A cap nut or female member 13 is arranged to be screwed upon one end of the plug to clamp the flared end of the copper tube 14 against the conical wall 15 adjacent one end of the plug. The cap nut is provided with a longitudinally extending recess, one end 16 of which is substantially the same diameter as the tube which extends'therethrough while the other end thereof is of lar er diameter.

t the conical end of the plug is formed a cylindrical neck 17 u on which is placed a ring or washer 18. his ring is formed of lead, celluloid or some similar material havmg the property of cold flowing indefinitely under pressure. The volume of the ringis approximately cut out of material of twice that removed from the tapered end to form sleeve member and washer encircle the tube,

and the sleeve member is vformed with an interiorly tapered end 21 which en ages the exterior of the flared end of the tu e.

As the ca nut is screwed upon the tapered end of the p ug, the flared end of the tube will be pressed against the ring packing member 18 causing a circular line contact which is suflicient to prevent leakage, especially in view of the thrust action of the spring washer to maintain such contact. As the cap nut is screwed further on the plug,the pressure will cause deformation or flow of the packing ring which because of its character forms a packing between the conical face of the plug and the tube flare. The character of the ring is such that it will fill any surface cavities in til) either the tube flare or the conical wall of the against the tube flare so that there will be no searation and consequent leakage.

ith the coupling described, there can be no leakage after the cap is once screwed on the plug enou h to cause the tube flare to engage the pac in ring. Such coupling is useful with all re rigerating systems to form joints which will not leak, and permits the use of methyl chloride or other hydro-carbon m refri erants which have had little use heretofore ecause of leakage through the joints of apparatus which could not be detected without expensive and impossible commercially testing.

Various changes can be made in the device described without departing from the spirit of m invention and the scope of the claim.

at I claim is: In a coupling, afmale member having a con-'- ical end, a tube having a flared end adapted to parallel the conical end of the male member, a deformable sealing ring intermediate the male member and the tube flare, a cap nut surrounding the flared end' of the tube and adapted to be screwed onthe conical end of the male member, an axiall movable sleeve member surrounding the ared end of the tube within the cap nut, and a spring in the cap nut exerting pressure against the sleeve member to cause a ti ht contact between the tube flare and the sea ing ring.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature this 18th da otJuly, 1929.

J S B. REPLOGLE. 

